Did you know it is a FACT (well it's definitely a Gillism) that cycling in the wind and rain makes you 50% more badass!!! Confession time!!!!! I have fallen off the wagon (or should that be bike?). I haven't been cycling as much as I should have; I started the Couch 2 5K run programme - and then stopped; and I have gained a little bit of weight. Now I need to figure out why I've neglected not only my training but also my self-care. It's not because I have fallen out of love with cycling or running - I love it! I am actually missing having healthy, nutritious food and my mood is certainly worse when I eat rubbish. So why have I done it?????? Why am I sabotaging my own efforts???? To what end am I neglecting to take care of myself????
I was swimming up and down the pool last week and asking myself why I hadn't got up early that morning to go cycling or running. Of course I had plenty of "reasons" which all seemed perfectly valid at 6am when my alarm woke me up: What if there was a sudden gust of wind and I got blown off my bike into the path of truck?! What if I couldn't make it up that big hill to the car park at the reservoir? What if I went for a run and people died from the shock of seeing my ungainly body pounding the pavements? Or worse what if they saw me and laughed?! I know, of course, that these are all ridiculous scenarios that are highly unlikely to happen and even if they did (with the exception of the truck scenario) would it really matter all that much? Why do I come up with these silly scenarios anyway?!! It would make much more sense to concentrate on the fantastic feeling of the wind on my face while cycling or the sense of achievement at having completed another day of the Couch 2 5K. Or to remind myself that I have more challenges to complete in 3 months time and think about the reasons I am doing this in the first place. I remembered that when I was going through a particularly tough time a few years ago my daughter Meghan said to me "Mum, you have to stop standing in your own way". At the time I didn't really take the time to think about what she meant by it, but last week in the pool it came back to me like a light bulb moment (which clearly indicates that my daughter is much more perceptive than her mother!) and I realised that that is exactly what I have been doing! I have been standing in my own way and I have been doing it for far too long! So the next morning I got up at 6am; I moved out of my own way; I got on my bike and I went out for a ride before work and I survived it!! Nothing terrible happened! Today I did it again; and I rode further and it WAS windy and I survived again! I have since been imaging what my life could be like if I could continue to stop standing in my own way. If every time I want to cycle or run or swim or go to the gym I simply go and do it!! Of course I am well aware that the reality is that I will likely wake up one morning next week and I will refuse point blank to get out of my own way. I will stubbornly stand there with my arms folded, feet firmly planted and refuse to move. I believe the best chance I have of keeping myself out of my own way is if I can understand why I do it and have some strategies to move myself out of the way when necessary. So, to that end, I am embarking on a series of Life Coaching sessions to see if I can learn to stop standing in my own way.....................
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Ok, so my ears aren't actually overly large but the title got your attention didn't it! When I was swimming every day in India I had a few episodes of inflammation in my ears, probably due to bacteria in the water and the amount of time I was spending in it. When I researched "swimmers ear" I was concerned to learn that repeated infections can lead to damage and even cut short a pro swimmer's career. In order to try and minimise the risk of any further infections I started to wear little silicon ear plugs that mold to the shape of your ear and prevent water from entering the ear canal - until they annoyingly fall out mid-swim that is. I was always a little concerned about bacteria on the outside of the ear plugs as I was wearing them daily and they got a lot of handling, so I would replace them every couple of days. This, of course, became somewhat expensive as I was swimming daily; but worth it for the protection of my delicate lobes. The other drawback of using ear plugs is that they also cut out sound and that is not a good idea when you're in open water and need to keep yourself safe.
I was recently sent a bottle of ear drops by SwimSeal to try. I was taken with the idea that all I needed to do was put a couple of drops in each ear and, voila, my ears were protected! SwimSeal works by coating the external ear canal in a similar way to natural ear wax, forming a barrier and reducing the risk of irritation and inflamation. The drops have the added advantage of not blocking out noise so I am safe in open water and will be able to hear the safety crew screaming at me to get out of the water! I have to say I loved them! Easy to apply, more hygienic than grubby ear plugs; they are now a permanent part of my swimming kit! You can get more info, or buy a bottle, at www.swimseal.com/uk Now, about the Red Faces .................. I have done the day of the Couch 2 5K programme! Oh boy was it hard work! I'm not sure which was the most difficult part - the mental or the physical. I did it on the treadmill in the gym as I decided that would probably be easier as I could set the speed and incline and just go for it. Easy right? Pah!!!! Mentally I had to convince myself that I wasn't going to break the treadmill with my weight bouncing up and down on it; then I had to try and forget about the crowd of people gathered around laughing at Fat Girl trying to run. Of course I was the only person who could see the laughing crowd but somehow that doesn't help. As usual in these circumstances, I used music as my saviour, plugged myself into my Ipod and shut everything else out. Now there was just the physical pain to contend with. My hips, back and knees were all fine - absolutely no pain at all. My lungs however felt as though they were trying to expand and exit my body via my chest!!! Each 60 second period of running (more lumbering really) felt interminable; conversely the 90 seconds of walking passed way too quickly. However my marathon 30 minutes of run/walking did eventually end and I felt immensely proud - and somewhat shocked - that I had survived and completed Day 1 Week 1. When I staggered down the stairs into the changing rooms I was purple in the face!! Actually purple!! Ladies in the changing rooms were giving me concerned looks and I'm sure a couple of them had 999 on speed dial just in case! Of course I finished off my 2 hours in the gym with a swim - and getting my wobbly, sweaty self out of a sports bra and into my swimsuit was a whole other workout!! It took almost 3 hours for my face to return to it's normal pallor but I am currently feeling proud and motivated. Happy New Year everybody!!! I hope you are all having a great start to 2017. I kicked off my year by completing the Polar Swim in Salford Quays. What a fabulous experience!
I wanted to start 2017 by doing something which scared me; yes I know that sounds strange but those of you who know me will surely be nodding your heads right now! I believe that a challenge should always be scary and take you out of your comfort zone, otherwise it's not really a challenge is it? Doing something that scares me helps me grow in confidence - when I'm standing in my running shoes trying to get myself out of the door, worried that people will see me and scoff at the red-faced efforts; then I will remember January 1st and know that I can conquer my fears and achieve my goals. I will remember the week before the swim; having a heavy cold and bad chest and worrying that I would not be well enough to take part. I had many messages that week from family and friends telling me not to get into the water if I was ill - and some were very strongly worded (you know who you are!). I had two wonderful young men who were waiting on the side lines ready to take my place if I wasn't better - thank you so much Cain and Tom, you are absolute stars!! By New Year's Eve (which by the way, is still fun even if you are the only sober person at the party!) I had the cough under control and had decided that if I got into the water and started coughing then I would beat a retreat. After all, if you can't breathe you can't swim and I'm no hero!! When New Year's Day dawned myself and my entourage set out for Salford and spent 2 hours standing around in the rain slowly getting colder and colder! I stood on the edge of Dock 9 looking at the icebergs - no really there were icebergs in the water! Okay they were the course markers but still.........each time I looked at the icebergs in the black water I shivered and thought "surely that is more than 250 meters". I passed most of the waiting time talking to other swimmers who were a very friendly bunch and listening to their tales of icy swims and gathering tips on how to survive. When my "wave" was called I hugged by daughter Katrina and said "erm I'm really scared!" She looked me in the eye and said "my Mum took on a storm in Loch Ness and came out smiling - Salford Quays is no match for you! Go and have fun mum". Clearly she has had an excellent upbringing (and bringing my grandson along dressed as a shark was a stroke of genius!) I hung back when the starting horn sounded as I was nervous and wanted to make sure I could turn around and get out if necessary but I have to say it was a very sedate start - none of the usual running in and swimming over each other. Once in the water I had the inevitable "oh s**t that's cold" moment and then an "arrggghhh that's painful" moment when I tried to put my head in the water and had an instant ice cream headache!! The decision to swim head up was quickly made and I started to get into my stride. I approached the midway iceberg much quicker than I anticipated and from the wrong angle which meant I head butted it and then skirted around it. Which was slightly unnerving for me as one of my fears in open water swimming is getting my legs tangled in the ropes that anchor boats and buoys - the other fear is cramp. Thankfully neither materialised. The atmosphere in the water was great with everyone cheering each other on and the die-hard's wearing only swimsuits and silly hats. Everyone was grinning and it really was an awesome feeling. As with other swims, I was struck by how small I felt looking up at the huge dock walls and thinking how far away the crowds of on-lookers seemed as they appeared so small. It gives one a completely different perspective when viewing the world from water level! Once I was around 3/4 of the way round I started to feel the cold seeping through my wetsuit and began to shiver a little. I was feeling rather breathless and made a conscious decision to slow my pace as I wasn't getting enough oxygen into my lungs. At this point I did start to think about the cold and wonder whether I would be ok to make it to the finish. This thought was quickly followed by a reminder of why I was doing this and I literally gritted my teeth, punched the air and shouted "come on this is for Lizzie!" The lady swimming at the side of me (one of the mad one's in a swimsuit) immediately smiled at me and said "yes come on Lizzie you can do this!". A lovely chap ahead of me turned and yelled to me "come on Lizzie" and before long a group of people around me were all shouting "come on Lizzie!" I wasn't about to inform them that I'm not Lizzie so I joined in and ploughed on to the finish!!! So, to my beautiful niece Lizzie - sorry but I stole your identity for a few minutes - hope you don't mind! On exiting the water I was given my lovely medal and lots of hugs from Meghan who commented that I had been grinning all the way round. I don't know if it's hypothermia setting in but my smile was a little manic and I truly felt invincible! My "crew" quickly had me divested of wetsuit and swimsuit and dried off with warm clothing piled on before handing me a shot of whiskey. The cold hit me about 40 minutes later and felt as though someone had parked an industrial freezer in my chest. Intense cold spreads from the core outwards and is a most unpleasant sensation. However a hot shower, hot water bottle, blankets and a couple of walnut vodkas followed by 2 days in bed and I was back on form! I am so very glad that I was able to complete this challenge and I cannot find the words to express how fabulous it feels to set your intentions at the beginning of a year of challenges and know that you really can achieve them. So, challenge number 1 is ticked off and training has begun for challenge 2 (100k cycle) and challenge 3 (Manchester Color Run). Plans for challenges 4 and 5 are also in hand. I am now the proud owner of an action cam so hopefully I will be able to add videos to this blog - once I have worked out how to do it!! Finally I want to say a huge THANK YOU for everybody's support and encouragement. You amazing people have so far raised £332.17 for Maggie's Centres in honour of Lizzie's Blue Tit and I cannot express how much that means to me. Fund raising is currently at 16% of the total £2,017 which I hope to raise by the end of 2017. More coming soon................. Training for my Polar Swim on New Year's Day is well underway. I could feel the difference mentally very early on in training. After joining a new gym I quickly felt my confidence returning and my fitness wasn't quite as low as I had expected. Not as good as it had been - but not as bad as when I first started either. My new gym is very friendly and welcoming and I am enjoying being back in training!
My main worries for the swim are the effects of the cold water which could cause cramp (my recurring nightmare when swimming in open water) and the pain the cold will cause to my arthritic fingers. I have bought wetsuit gloves to help combat the inevitable pain I will feel in my hands when I plunge (ok maybe not plunge; perhaps more stepping gingerly) into the icy waters of Salford Quays. I have swam once before wearing wetsuit gloves so I knew it would alter my stroke and that I would need to train with them to get used to it. I was also hoping that the gloves would increase my speed due to the greater water resistance! I have always been a distance swimmer rather than a sprinter and this has never bothered me but I figure that the quicker I go on this swim, the less time I will be in the water = less time in the cold! My theory of the gloves' adding more water resistance proved to be correct and I was definitely quicker. Unfortunately I hadn't allowed for the greater resistance putting more pressure on my rotator cuff during the pull and soon I could feel my shoulders aching. So I did what all great athletes do when they reach the pain barrier - I pushed through it and pretended I was ok! The next morning I could feel the old, familiar shooting pains in my shoulders and chest. The last time I injured my rotator cuff whilst training in India, I had to take 5 weeks out of training. Luckily this time I work in a Therapy Centre with a fantastic team of Sports Therapists who quickly came to the rescue and gave me a sports massage and advice (aka a telling off for not stretching properly!) and so I was back in the pool in a couple of days! When I next entered the pool I left the wetsuit gloves at home and decided to concentrate instead on increasing my speed so that I would be in and out of the water as quickly as possible. My current 250 metre speed is 6.58 minutes - so this is obviously going to be a slow and painful swim. As I ploughed up and down the pool I was very aware of every time my muscles pulled and I began to tell myself it was my own fault for not training properly in the last year. The more laps I swam, the more my shoulders ached and the more I berated myself......."it's hardly surprising you are so slow when you haven't trained hard enough"..............."you are never going to be a fast swimmer; slow and fat is what you will always be"........................"how stupid are you to even imagine you could do this swim you stupid woman"................and on............and on.............until my thoughts turned from self loathing to self pity..........."my poor shoulders really ache"................"this training is too hard and painful"................"why am I subjecting myself to this when I could be warm and cosy at home"................"I'm tired and I want to stop now"................. Those voices that I was hearing pushed me out of the pool and into my car and followed me all the way home!!! When I got home I had my usual post training shot of protein and a big cup of coffee and my thoughts drifted to my niece, Lizzie, and another family member who are both battling cancer. I felt so embarrassed at myself for being weak and allowing the voicesin my head to win when these two people, who have supported my challenges unstintingly, were facing far scarier things than achy shoulders and cold water! When someone we love is ill it’s natural to want to do something to help make them better. Coming to terms with the fact that you have to trust in the medical professionals to do this instead can be difficult. So after yet another of my amazing friends asked me if I wanted sponsorship for my New Year’s swim I consulted with Lizzie and I have set up a Just Giving page. I will be completing a number of challenges during 2017 to raise money for Maggie’s Centres which is a charity that helps cancer patients and their families. My aim is to raise £2,017 in 2017 so that Maggie’s Centres can continue helping Lizzie, her family and other cancer patients with invaluable support at a difficult time. So my friends and supporters, I pledge regular blog updates of my escapades throughout training and during the challenges and am really hoping for your continued encouragement. If you would like donate my Just Giving page is www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gill-Thomas2017 Recently I had a health scare. The kind of health scare that makes you think "I'm not ready to leave yet........there are things I haven't done........there is wine I haven't tasted (maybe that last one was just me!?). Happy to say I have had the all-clear but these things certainly make you re-evaluate your life.
When I first started this blog I was full of trepidation about getting fit and whether I would be able to complete the Monster Swim. After I had accomplished that goal I had a period where I felt I could achieve anything; then life threw me quite a few lemons - and some tomatoes, wrapped in tins!! Ouch!!! However, with the help of my wonderful family and friends, I survived and moved forwards. I got a job, which has had a huge impact on my life and how I see myself (thank you Hazel for your faith in me!) and I've made a raft of new friends. My recent health problems have made me realise though that I have lost my love of exercise and, with it, the confidence and love of my body that I had built up during my training. One of the things I have learned about myself over the last couple of years is that I need the "fear" of a challenge to motivate me into action and, as my brother Dondy once told me, "There is nothing more motivating than telling the world that you are going to do something. Once you have told everybody there is no going back!" So (big drum roll please) I am signing up for a Polar Swim on New Years Day in Salford Quays (to kick off 2017 in mermaid style) followed by the Humber Bridge Sportive in June and the Manchester Color Run in July. Last night I took a very, very deep breath and joined a local gym! It feels slightly ridiculous to be so nervous of something I once loved - particularly being nervous of putting the swimsuit on when I used to get changed in lochside car parks and not care at all. However I have taken the first step so it can only get easier right? (Cindy, you should feel free to shout out some motivating comments right about now!). This mermaid needs to get back to being her old confident self so I am going to be starting 2017 off swimming with Polar Bears!!!!! Who knows where this might lead........ I've been staring at this screen for the last hour trying to get my thoughts into some kind of order - and those of you who know me will understand what a monumental task that is! Firstly I think I should offer my apologies to my friends who have been nagging me to write more blog posts. I truly cannot understand why you would want to read about my mundane life and my rambling thoughts. However a very dear friend, whose opinion I value greatly, recently read the blog and encouraged me to continue so here I am with more offerings and the promise to at least attempt to write regularly from here on.
Since my last post about my hypnotherapy session I have continued to learn more about myself and my confidence has grown. I've come to learn that the only person's approval I need is Fat Girl's. As long as I am happy with my choices and content with my life then what does anyone else's opinion matter? Of course the reality of life is that I do not always approve of my choices and when the Black Dog is following me around, barking non-stop then I question everything I have ever done and conclude that none of it was good enough. I am lucky though because my Black Dog visits infrequently and his bark is not so loud anymore. Some of my family and friends suffer this damn canine for long, dark periods and it is so painful to watch them battling and not be able to offer anything other than a quiet, gentle "I know". So many people are still hiding their emotional health problems and feeling embarrassed or weak; afraid of the stigma of being labelled a depressive. I know how lucky I am that I work in an incredibly supportive environment where we can talk freely about such things. So, stepping down from my soap box ("Aaahh at last!" I hear you cry). Since my previous post I have continued to enjoy my new career, although I am still slightly shocked that I have re-invented myself at the ripe old age of 53. I have recently found myself thinking "Wow I wish I had known all of this when I was younger - my life would have been so different". I have a new found confidence that I never had when I was a young woman. I worry much less about pleasing people; about whether people like me; about whether I look ok. Of course I look ok - I'm bloody awesome!! I now wear dresses more often, I wear purple glasses and I BOUGHT THE RED SHOES!! All my life I have worn black, brown or beige shoes - aside from some sparkly flipflops in India. But now I wear red shoes - shiny, bright red shoes. Shoes that people notice, clothes that say "helloooo Fat Girl is in the building!" No more hiding away, no more people pleasing. During my second hypnotherapy session I was asked "if you were a car, what would you be?" My answer? A Rolls Royce - a shiny, red Rolls Royce. The old fashioned kind with no roof - sumptuous, cream leather interior, wooden steering wheel - the type of car everyone looks at and admires as it passes them by. A car with an engine that runs smoothly, purring under the bonnet, ticking over nicely until someone puts their foot on the accelerator and then.......... Last summer I applied for a job and, whilst I was nervous about re-entering the workplace, the job was 11 hours a week answering the phones and smiling at clients. It was suggested to me that I might get bored but I thought "at least it will get me out and meeting people". I soon discovered there was a lot more to the role than I had first thought. Fast forward 5 months and I am Practice Manager, working with a team of amazingly talented, intelligent, funny, supportive folk and I am loving every minute of it.
One of the perks of working in a therapy centre is that we get to use the therapies on offer. So far I have tried Indian Head Massage (blissful and sooo relaxing) and Remedial Massage (not so relaxing but after just 2 treatments I have significantly less pain in my leg and am swimming again!). This week I decided it was time I tried Hypnotherapy. I have had hypnotherapy for dental phobia whilst in India and it worked wonders at helping me overcome a deep seated problem with wanting to hit the dentist and run for my life! I haven't felt the urge to attack any dentists since then so I thought maybe hypnotherapy could help me again. I wasn't altogether sure what I wanted help with though.........motivation maybe? To calm the panicky feeling of being unable to control certain aspects of my life over the last couple of years? To move forward and let go of the past? I really wasn't sure what I wanted to achieve or what outcome I expected.........hmmm perhaps I could have my indecisiveness "hypnotised away"???? I admit I was feeling some nervousness and perhaps a little cynicism (I know - me being cynical - imagine that!), but the therapist soon put me at ease. The session lasted just over an hour and felt like a mixture of hypnotherapy and counselling. I learned so much about myself during that time! Some things I already knew but wasn't acknowledging; some things I hadn't been aware of before and some things that I was keeping hidden away. Every single one of those "things" lead to further revelations and realisations. So what did I take away from the session? It turns out that ....... I AM NOT RUBBISH! I have spent a lot of time believing that I am rubbish; rubbish wife; rubbish mum; rubbish friend; my hair is rubbish; I'm a rubbish athlete and on.........and on........and..........it simply isn't true! WOW! I also learned that I am capable of making my own decisions and choices, I DO NOT NEED VALIDATION from anyone except myself. I also now know that I am going to be just fine because EVERYTHING I NEED IS INSIDE ME. Powerful realisations!! Since the session I have felt a calmness in my head that is difficult to articulate; all those thoughts running around inside my head; the worries about pleasing other people; concerns about making the wrong decisions - they are all in a big suitcase on a plane heading for Africa. It took two porters to help me lug that suitcase through check-in! I am left with calmness and confidence and it feels wonderful!! I feel energised and optimistic about my future for the first time in 2 years. I chose the date and time for the session deliberately, 4th Feb at 10am, and I have now reclaimed that date and time - 4th Feb is now just a date on the calendar and not a day to be feared. Oh yes, something else I learned; waves are a powerful force and red is the new pink............... Welcome to 2016 my friends! Pat yourselves on the back - we have survived another year. I am looking forward to the coming year with an enthusiasm that I haven't felt for some time. I start the year with a job I am thoroughly enjoying, new friends who I am looking forward to getting to know better and a whole host of new challenges to throw myself into.
My dodgy leg is being ministered to by one of my talented colleagues who assures me that regular massage, stretching and appropriate exercises will soon have me back to full speed (not that I was known for my speediness prior to injury!). So the 100k Humber Bridge Sportive is back on the agenda, together with a night ride from Manchester to Blackpool to cycle along the sea front and enjoy the famous lights - assuming that the chaps at the local council remember to turn them on this year! I am hoping to round the cycling year off with a 100 mile Century Ride. As for swimming challenges, I am still looking for something that makes me think "that looks terrifying - let's do it!" but the lochs of Scotland are beckoning once again........or perhaps a sea swim??? On a more personal level I am moving forward, having met people who are helping me to build my self confidence and I think I am finally accepting myself for who and what I am and, dare I say it, learning to love myself. I have learned that I am not responsible for other peoples actions or choices; that I deserve to be treated with respect and that I am worth (that word again!) so much more. So my mantra for 2016 shall be "Know Your Worth", which I shall be using to measure both myself and others. My intention is for this year to be one full of personal bests during which I tackle things which scare me and, in doing so, lay a few ghosts to rest. I have been asked by quite a few of you to blog more regularly; you know what "they" say .......be careful what you wish for....... I imagine most female gym-goers have seen "her" - the skinny blonde girl who struts around the changing rooms naked, jiggling her perfect, perky boobs as she watches herself in the mirror. Well today I met "her" and she made such an impact on me that I feel the need to write to her.............
Dear Skinny Blonde Girl, When we met in the changing rooms this morning I was really surprised when you started a conversation with me as I find that most women in the changing rooms at that particular gym tend to avoid making eye contact or speaking to one another. I must admit to feeling a little intimidated by your blonde gorgeousness, especially as you kept spinning around so that you could see your bum in the mirror. Your opening comment to me of "Oh I think you're so brave!" had me a little confused initially, but you were more than happy to explain what you meant. "I think you're so brave to wear a swimsuit at your size" you kindly explained. "My grandma absolutely refuses to go in the pool coz she says she looks like a beached whale and she's nowhere near as big as you. I'm gonna tell her that today I saw a really big lady who wasn't bothered what she looked like". First of all I must apologise for walking away without responding to you - it was very rude of me. Secondly I would like to say thank you. Your thoughtless comments made me feel embarrassed and humiliated but it gave me something to think about during my swim. At first all I could think was that I hate my body, it's too big; it's too soft; it's too round! I'm embarrassed by it and I hate it!! Then I saw you gracefully slide into the pool in your tiny little pink bikini. Oh great, now Skinny Blonde Girl is going to show me up in the pool. So I put my head in the water and swam; and swam and swam and gradually I became aware of a little pink blur as I swam passed it. Then I passed it again; and again and again! As it dawned on me that I was lapping you in the pool I thought - "Watch my fat mermaid ass pass you again Skinny Blonde Girl!" And that got me thinking about my "embarrassing" body and all it can do. So I dedicated each further lap to my body's many amazing achievements; the 2 beautiful daughters it has produced; the triathlon it completed; the Loch Ness swim that it conquered; the way it can always give me one more rep in the weights room; the way it has got me through the dark days when my head has been telling me to give up; it's ability to get down on the floor to play silly games with my grandson. So, Skinny Blonde Girl, I give you many, many thanks because your thoughtless comments have led me to love and celebrate my amazing, soft, round, gorgeous body. Sincerely Fat Girl Swims Lydia - my companion on the next challenge! I feel a little shy as I write this. I can hardly believe that it's been 9 months since my last post. Are you all still there I wonder? Well, of course you are. You are the most loyal of folk, my friends, who have stood firmly by my side through a difficult time. So first of all I say a huge THANK YOU to every one of you - I wouldn't have survived it without you. I've had a pretty inactive summer, with injury stopping my swimming and severely limiting any training in the gym. This meant pulling out of the Humber Bridge 100k cycle and the Loch Ard 3k swim. However cutting back on training did give me time to renew my love of sketching and sewing so my creative side has flourished somewhat and this has helped me focus on regrouping my thoughts and processing the events of the past 18 months. So now we've all caught up - what's next???? Those of you who know my family will be aware that I am the lucky owner of 5 big brothers, all of whom are amazing and supportive. One of the bros, Jim (aka Dondy) and myself have had several conversations about completing a challenge together; a real brother sister bonding experience. Dondy is my cycling hero having completed the incredible Land's End to John O'Groats cycle a few years ago, so I knew that whatever he came up with would indeed be challenging! So we are in the very early planning stages of our sibling challenge and, whilst we are not ready to divulge details just yet, I can say that this is going to be a challenge of EPIC proportions and is really more of a expedition than a challenge. A sibling cycling expedition (hmmm catchphrase?). A very personal pilgrimage for me and my bro. I have already purchased my "century" cycling shorts with extra padding and am attempting to put together a training plan which will see me increasing my cycle miles considerably over the coming months. If any of you lovely folk have any training advice to offer please feel free to throw it my way as I am going to need all the help I can get. I shall be posting regular blog updates on training, together with more details of the expedition as we firm things up and I sincerely hope that you will be offering the fabulous support and motivation that got me through the Monster Swim. Perhaps the blog name should be changed to Fat Girl Cycles???? |
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